To Nashi: Hey, haven't heard from you in a while! The first few
chapters I didn't change must, but I actually started reading through them
when I began posting, and a few things are changed here and there.
However, some one the suggestions you made a while back would alter my
story too much, so I couldn't fit them in. ^_^
Chapter 16 : Faithful Brothers
"So, she was really important, huh?" Tasuki asked the shorter man next to him, being something other than his usual loud self.
Nuriko nodded. "Yeah... It's really sad, having to die so young like that."
The bandit and Nuriko stood in a small cemetery, just outside the capital. Before them was a small, gray tombstone, the name 'Kourin Chou' written across the top of it.
Nuriko dropped the bouquet of daisies he was holding in front of the grave. A small gust of wind blew, causing some of the petals to dance up into the air.
"I come by to visit her every so often." Nuriko commented. He sighed and put his hands on his hips, his bracelets giving a slight jingle. "But you still got to move on. I just wish my brother would understand that."
"Tell me 'bout it." Tasuki complained. "We thought he was going to kill us when we tried to take the ball thingy away from him."
Nuriko laughed, surprised tha Tasuki remembered something that happened so long ago. He and his beloved sister had both died, only he got a second chance. He wished dearly he could have given it to Kourin. Taka had told him a while back he deserved it, so he could live out his own life, not his sisters. Start a lifestyle without cross-dressing.
"Well, better get back." Nuriko piped up, turning around to go back to the horses. Tasuki followed him. He and Tasuki exited the cemetery and made it to a post where two horses were tied up. Nuriko untied the brown one, and Tasuki slid onto the black.
Nuriko went to untie Tasuki's horse, finding the knot to be slightly stubborn. "Dangit Tasuki, how the heck did you tie this thing?"
Tasuki rolled his eyes. "In a knot, moron."
Nuriko pulled at the reins. "Well, it's not coming undone..." Nuriko said, giving the rope a few good tugs.
There was a slight shuffling noise as the post lifted out of the packed- dirt ground.
Nuriko, still only holding the reins, turned to Tasuki. "Only a knot, huh?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hotohori sighed. "I am glad you all returned safely. Saori, you truly deserve an award for your act of bravery."
Saori tried not to smile and stared at the ground.
Hotohori turned to Miaka. "Are you sure you do not need any medical help?"
Miaka smiled in her usual cheerfulness. "I'm fine! Really!"
"Very well." Hotohori gazed upon the girl he had loved so much so long ago. "Taka is in his room, Mitsukake is healing his leg."
Saori and Miaka chatted as they took a long walk through the vast hallways of the Konan palace. Miaka swung her arms through the air in sync with her footsteps, while Saori kept hers hand-in-hand behind her back. She wore her new, gold hair barrettes, which shimmered in the light given by the large windows that bordered the halls. She wore her school uniform, like she usually did, her white shirt neatly tucked it and her socks pulled up evenly to her knees.
"So, are you?" Miaka asked, nosy.
Saori shook her head. "I... I couldn't. As soon as I get Mayo back, I'm going back to Tokyo... somehow..." Saori stared straight ahead. "I couldn't possibly live in a secluded place with so many other girls... besides, it wasn't Boushin who asked me, so I wouldn't know his feelings on it."
Miaka nodded. "I understand, but let's say there wasn't a harem, and Boushin had no attachments or anything... maybe he wasn't even an emperor, and HE was the one who gave you the letter... then what would you do?"
Saori sighed. "I still couldn't, Miaka. Remember, I know what happened in the book, Mayo told me. You couldn't stay after falling for Tamahome, right? If the same were to happen to me, I'd have to leave my home, family, and friends to remain here." Saori shook her head. "This is getting too serious! It doesn't matter, Boushin and I are not an item! We're just friends!"
"I wonder how Mayo is doing." Miaka said.
Saori looked at her.
"I hope she's all right."
The two turned a corner. "Miaka," Saori began, "Do you still wish her happiness after what she did?"
"Don't you?" Miaka asked. "After Mayo came back from the book the first time, she completely supported Tamahome and I. She was there at the hospital when Hikari was born. Nakago must have done something... the same thing he did to Yui. Mayo isn't herself."
Saori and Miaka both walked in silence for a few minutes. They went through a pair of doors, which led outside. It was late afternoon, and the sun would set soon. A few light sprinkles of rain fell from the cloudy yet bright sky. Miaka stopped to look at it.
"You know, I don't think that boy's bad either... Suboshi, I mean." Saori said quietly.
Miaka looked to her. She was almost speechless. "Saori, there's good in everyone, but..."
"No, really." Saori looked into the sky. "His brother isn't bad, so there's an influence. But... When I hit him today, right before Taka got to him, I looked straight into his eyes. Only for a moment, but it was enough. Oh Miaka, he has the purest blue eyes I've ever seen. It was like gazing into a bright summer's sky." She paused for a moment. "He can't be that bad. I know you would have said the same if you had seen it. He's just misguided." Saori looked to Miaka. "I could be wrong, I probably am. But I just wanted to say..."
"It's okay." Miaka interrupted. "I felt the same way when the first Chiriko turned out to be Amiboshi. I knew he was good, and I was right." Miaka still felt scared inside of her. She had always been afraid of Suboshi, despite what Yui said. She remembered in Kutou she had rather of been by Mayo than him when she saw him. Of course, he could have been the one who told Mayo to keep her alive...
*********************************
Yui read the book silently. Tetsuya was asleep with his head back on the sofa, and Keisuke was slumbering in the chair. Yui looked tired as well, but she felt warm, comforted.
Suboshi was a sweet boy. All he ever did was protect her, even in his death. Even now, she couldn't understand why he acted the way he did. He nearly killed her best friend in the whole wide world on more than one occasion. But he did it because of Yui's resentment. Yui looked up towards the ceiling. Was it her fault?
**********************************
Suboshi put a hand over the red mark on his tanned face.
"You can't ever get anything right, can you, Suboshi?" Soi scolded, very upset.
Suboshi looked towards the floor. "I'm sorry, that girl got in the way." he stated sarcastically.
"What girl?" Mayo asked angrily from behind Soi.
Suboshi looked at the new priestess, anger in his eyes too. "Some girl with short brown hair and weird clothes. She came out of no where." He stood straight. "Forgive me for saying so, but she looked like you."
Mayo stood up, hands in fists. "What?! You say some wench on the street resembles your priestess?!"
Soi gave the boy an evil stare.
"She did." Suboshi stood his ground.
Mayo angry expression lifted suddenly. Light brown hair... strange clothes... and with Miaka...
"Saori?" Mayo whispered so quietly it was barely heard.
"Excuse me, priestess, but may I go now?" Suboshi asked rudely.
Mayo waved him aside. Under Soi's watch, he left the room.
Mayo, wide eyed, slunk back into her chair. Could it have been Saori? Had Saori come back, for her?
She had to see Nakago. She looked up at the older woman. "Soi, get me Nakago, now!"
Nakago would know, he had been at her side since her arrival. He had brought her the priestess of Suzaku, and he did whatever she said. She could trust him, and only him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Amiboshi looked up from the book he was reading when he heard the door slam. He put the novel down and got up, walking over to the short hallway to see who it was.
Suboshi, staring at the ground, leaned against the door. His hands laid limply to his sides. His wrists and forearms were embraced with golden cuffs, as were his shins and ankles. His meteor bells were fastened like a belt around his waist. Without looking at his brother, he slunk down to the floor, sitting with his arms relaxed on his knees.
Amiboshi sprinted to his brother, and kneeled down before him. "What happened?" He asked quietly.
"The priestess got away." he said glumly. He swung his fist sideways into the wall. "Nothing I ever do is good enough for that witch."
Amiboshi placed his hand over Suboshi's. "You should just stay here with me. You know I don't want the Suzaku Seven harmed."
Suboshi made no comment.
Amiboshi sighed. "Soon we'll be out of reach of Konan anyway. We'll summon Seiryu, and everything will be back to normal. It will be the way it was supposed to be the first time."
Suboshi shook his head. He reached up and pulled the blue fabric around his head off.
"You should just get some sleep." Amiboshi suggested. He looked toward the window. 'Nakago had Ashitare ready and waiting... but until I'm stronger, there is nothing I can do...'
***********************************
"Sir, please.... you cannot enter here...." A guard cautioned to a man outside of the palace.
"What's going on?" Nuriko asked.
Saori, who was across the room with half her body out the window, quickly turned. She accidentally hit her head on the top of the window, and she winced. "Some guy is trying to get access to the palace!"
Miaka, who was with Nuriko and Tasuki, sprinted over to the window to see what Saori was looking at. "Where?" she asked.
Saori pointed. "I think I heard him say Ryuuen something or other... but I don't think whoever he is is in the palace."
"Ryuuen?" Miaka asked. She looked closer, then turned around. "Nuriko! I think it's Rokou!"
Saori turned again, hitting her head on the window for a second time. She yelped and rubbed it. "Ryuuen is Nuriko's other name, huh?"
Nuriko put his hands on his hips and sighed, head down. "My brother is such an idiot." He walked across the room to the nearest exit to work things out. Tasuki, with nothing better to do, followed.
Hotohori and Taka came in. Taka was in mid-sentence when they saw the two girls leaning out of the window. "What's going on?" Taka asked.
Saori turned. "OW!" She screamed, almost near tears. Her head was pounding. You'd think she'd learn...
Nuriko stepped off the walk surrounding the building and walked quickly to his brother, who was arguing with two guards. The guards seemed quite irritated.
Rokou looked up. "Ha! There he is! Ryuuen! Over here!"
The guards glanced behind them. They bowed. "Lord Nuriko and Tasuki," one addressed.
"Sorry about this." Nuriko smiled. "I'll take care of it." He went past the guards and over the out skirting fence. He grabbed the blue haired man tightly by the arm and yanked him away from the palace.
Nuriko stopped a short distance away under a large tree. He stood agitated in front of his older brother. "Rokou, what in the world are you doing here?!"
Rokou brushed off his sleeve. "What, I'm not allowed to visit my brother?"
"No!" Nuriko shouted in response.
Rokou looked past Nuriko at Tasuki. "HE gets to be here?"
Nuriko rolled his eyes. "Yes, dummy. You need to get a grip on life! You lived twelve years in my absence, you think you could last a couple of months!"
"Ryuuen!"
A feminine, high voice came in the direction away from the palace. Nuriko, Rokou, and Tasuki all turned there heads. Nuriko folded his arms.
"Hello Enin." Nuriko said, somewhat less than excited.
"Who's she?" Tasuki asked as the girl approached. Nuriko gave an 'evil eye' sideways glance to his brother.
The girl caught her breath from her short jog. She wore a light red dress with long, sunny yellow sleeves. Her thick, dark, ebony hair was pulled back loosely behind her head, forming two ring-like buns on either side. She was fairly short, only a few inches taller than an even five feet. She gave the men a wide smile, her long black eyelashes batting ever so slightly. She looked up at Nuriko with a sort of held back admiration, her blue eyes shining in the shade of the tree. "So he was available, Rokou?" Enin smiled to the man against the tree.
Nuriko sighed. "Tasuki, this is Enin Shiiko, she's from the capital."
Enin smiled. "I'm one of Ryuuen's neighbors, he's just trying to humble himself." She squeaked. She held up a small white box she was carrying. "Ryuuen-san, I made you a little lunch, just in case you got hungry. I know that palace food can get tiring."
Nuriko pasted on a smile. "Thank you." He slowly accepted the gift.
Tasuki lit up some. "Ah crap. Nuriko, we were suppose to meet his Highness in the library nearly an hour ago! I forgot to remind you!"
Nuriko looked back, confused at first, but then his face showed pure gratitude. "Tasuki!" He yelled. "You're so irresponsible!" He turned back to Rokou and Enin. "I'm terribly sorry. Rokou, I'll visit you again in a little while, you too Enin. I have to be going." He held up the box. "And thanks again."
Enin glowed. "Wow, official business! You're so honorable, Ryuuen!"
Tasuki and Nuriko turned, waving goodbye as they headed back.
When they were a safe distance away, Tasuki finally spoke up. "Who the heck was she?"
Nuriko growled. "I can't BELIEVE he brought Enin along! Rokou's got some nerve...."
Tasuki repeated the question.
"Enin Shiiko lives a few streets away from Rokou and I. She hasn't left me alone for the past two years. She's sixteen, and whenever she comes over she 'somehow' brings up the fact that she wants to be married and have a respectable family. Rokou only praises her. He needs a life." Nuriko explained.
Tasuki blinked. "Well, at least she can cook..."
"She can't!" Nuriko chucked the box into Tasuki's stomach as they entered the palace grounds. "I'd rather eat pond scum!"
Tasuki laughed at Nuriko's fit. "Down boy, down! Don't get so uptight!"
Chapter 16 : Faithful Brothers
"So, she was really important, huh?" Tasuki asked the shorter man next to him, being something other than his usual loud self.
Nuriko nodded. "Yeah... It's really sad, having to die so young like that."
The bandit and Nuriko stood in a small cemetery, just outside the capital. Before them was a small, gray tombstone, the name 'Kourin Chou' written across the top of it.
Nuriko dropped the bouquet of daisies he was holding in front of the grave. A small gust of wind blew, causing some of the petals to dance up into the air.
"I come by to visit her every so often." Nuriko commented. He sighed and put his hands on his hips, his bracelets giving a slight jingle. "But you still got to move on. I just wish my brother would understand that."
"Tell me 'bout it." Tasuki complained. "We thought he was going to kill us when we tried to take the ball thingy away from him."
Nuriko laughed, surprised tha Tasuki remembered something that happened so long ago. He and his beloved sister had both died, only he got a second chance. He wished dearly he could have given it to Kourin. Taka had told him a while back he deserved it, so he could live out his own life, not his sisters. Start a lifestyle without cross-dressing.
"Well, better get back." Nuriko piped up, turning around to go back to the horses. Tasuki followed him. He and Tasuki exited the cemetery and made it to a post where two horses were tied up. Nuriko untied the brown one, and Tasuki slid onto the black.
Nuriko went to untie Tasuki's horse, finding the knot to be slightly stubborn. "Dangit Tasuki, how the heck did you tie this thing?"
Tasuki rolled his eyes. "In a knot, moron."
Nuriko pulled at the reins. "Well, it's not coming undone..." Nuriko said, giving the rope a few good tugs.
There was a slight shuffling noise as the post lifted out of the packed- dirt ground.
Nuriko, still only holding the reins, turned to Tasuki. "Only a knot, huh?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hotohori sighed. "I am glad you all returned safely. Saori, you truly deserve an award for your act of bravery."
Saori tried not to smile and stared at the ground.
Hotohori turned to Miaka. "Are you sure you do not need any medical help?"
Miaka smiled in her usual cheerfulness. "I'm fine! Really!"
"Very well." Hotohori gazed upon the girl he had loved so much so long ago. "Taka is in his room, Mitsukake is healing his leg."
Saori and Miaka chatted as they took a long walk through the vast hallways of the Konan palace. Miaka swung her arms through the air in sync with her footsteps, while Saori kept hers hand-in-hand behind her back. She wore her new, gold hair barrettes, which shimmered in the light given by the large windows that bordered the halls. She wore her school uniform, like she usually did, her white shirt neatly tucked it and her socks pulled up evenly to her knees.
"So, are you?" Miaka asked, nosy.
Saori shook her head. "I... I couldn't. As soon as I get Mayo back, I'm going back to Tokyo... somehow..." Saori stared straight ahead. "I couldn't possibly live in a secluded place with so many other girls... besides, it wasn't Boushin who asked me, so I wouldn't know his feelings on it."
Miaka nodded. "I understand, but let's say there wasn't a harem, and Boushin had no attachments or anything... maybe he wasn't even an emperor, and HE was the one who gave you the letter... then what would you do?"
Saori sighed. "I still couldn't, Miaka. Remember, I know what happened in the book, Mayo told me. You couldn't stay after falling for Tamahome, right? If the same were to happen to me, I'd have to leave my home, family, and friends to remain here." Saori shook her head. "This is getting too serious! It doesn't matter, Boushin and I are not an item! We're just friends!"
"I wonder how Mayo is doing." Miaka said.
Saori looked at her.
"I hope she's all right."
The two turned a corner. "Miaka," Saori began, "Do you still wish her happiness after what she did?"
"Don't you?" Miaka asked. "After Mayo came back from the book the first time, she completely supported Tamahome and I. She was there at the hospital when Hikari was born. Nakago must have done something... the same thing he did to Yui. Mayo isn't herself."
Saori and Miaka both walked in silence for a few minutes. They went through a pair of doors, which led outside. It was late afternoon, and the sun would set soon. A few light sprinkles of rain fell from the cloudy yet bright sky. Miaka stopped to look at it.
"You know, I don't think that boy's bad either... Suboshi, I mean." Saori said quietly.
Miaka looked to her. She was almost speechless. "Saori, there's good in everyone, but..."
"No, really." Saori looked into the sky. "His brother isn't bad, so there's an influence. But... When I hit him today, right before Taka got to him, I looked straight into his eyes. Only for a moment, but it was enough. Oh Miaka, he has the purest blue eyes I've ever seen. It was like gazing into a bright summer's sky." She paused for a moment. "He can't be that bad. I know you would have said the same if you had seen it. He's just misguided." Saori looked to Miaka. "I could be wrong, I probably am. But I just wanted to say..."
"It's okay." Miaka interrupted. "I felt the same way when the first Chiriko turned out to be Amiboshi. I knew he was good, and I was right." Miaka still felt scared inside of her. She had always been afraid of Suboshi, despite what Yui said. She remembered in Kutou she had rather of been by Mayo than him when she saw him. Of course, he could have been the one who told Mayo to keep her alive...
*********************************
Yui read the book silently. Tetsuya was asleep with his head back on the sofa, and Keisuke was slumbering in the chair. Yui looked tired as well, but she felt warm, comforted.
Suboshi was a sweet boy. All he ever did was protect her, even in his death. Even now, she couldn't understand why he acted the way he did. He nearly killed her best friend in the whole wide world on more than one occasion. But he did it because of Yui's resentment. Yui looked up towards the ceiling. Was it her fault?
**********************************
Suboshi put a hand over the red mark on his tanned face.
"You can't ever get anything right, can you, Suboshi?" Soi scolded, very upset.
Suboshi looked towards the floor. "I'm sorry, that girl got in the way." he stated sarcastically.
"What girl?" Mayo asked angrily from behind Soi.
Suboshi looked at the new priestess, anger in his eyes too. "Some girl with short brown hair and weird clothes. She came out of no where." He stood straight. "Forgive me for saying so, but she looked like you."
Mayo stood up, hands in fists. "What?! You say some wench on the street resembles your priestess?!"
Soi gave the boy an evil stare.
"She did." Suboshi stood his ground.
Mayo angry expression lifted suddenly. Light brown hair... strange clothes... and with Miaka...
"Saori?" Mayo whispered so quietly it was barely heard.
"Excuse me, priestess, but may I go now?" Suboshi asked rudely.
Mayo waved him aside. Under Soi's watch, he left the room.
Mayo, wide eyed, slunk back into her chair. Could it have been Saori? Had Saori come back, for her?
She had to see Nakago. She looked up at the older woman. "Soi, get me Nakago, now!"
Nakago would know, he had been at her side since her arrival. He had brought her the priestess of Suzaku, and he did whatever she said. She could trust him, and only him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Amiboshi looked up from the book he was reading when he heard the door slam. He put the novel down and got up, walking over to the short hallway to see who it was.
Suboshi, staring at the ground, leaned against the door. His hands laid limply to his sides. His wrists and forearms were embraced with golden cuffs, as were his shins and ankles. His meteor bells were fastened like a belt around his waist. Without looking at his brother, he slunk down to the floor, sitting with his arms relaxed on his knees.
Amiboshi sprinted to his brother, and kneeled down before him. "What happened?" He asked quietly.
"The priestess got away." he said glumly. He swung his fist sideways into the wall. "Nothing I ever do is good enough for that witch."
Amiboshi placed his hand over Suboshi's. "You should just stay here with me. You know I don't want the Suzaku Seven harmed."
Suboshi made no comment.
Amiboshi sighed. "Soon we'll be out of reach of Konan anyway. We'll summon Seiryu, and everything will be back to normal. It will be the way it was supposed to be the first time."
Suboshi shook his head. He reached up and pulled the blue fabric around his head off.
"You should just get some sleep." Amiboshi suggested. He looked toward the window. 'Nakago had Ashitare ready and waiting... but until I'm stronger, there is nothing I can do...'
***********************************
"Sir, please.... you cannot enter here...." A guard cautioned to a man outside of the palace.
"What's going on?" Nuriko asked.
Saori, who was across the room with half her body out the window, quickly turned. She accidentally hit her head on the top of the window, and she winced. "Some guy is trying to get access to the palace!"
Miaka, who was with Nuriko and Tasuki, sprinted over to the window to see what Saori was looking at. "Where?" she asked.
Saori pointed. "I think I heard him say Ryuuen something or other... but I don't think whoever he is is in the palace."
"Ryuuen?" Miaka asked. She looked closer, then turned around. "Nuriko! I think it's Rokou!"
Saori turned again, hitting her head on the window for a second time. She yelped and rubbed it. "Ryuuen is Nuriko's other name, huh?"
Nuriko put his hands on his hips and sighed, head down. "My brother is such an idiot." He walked across the room to the nearest exit to work things out. Tasuki, with nothing better to do, followed.
Hotohori and Taka came in. Taka was in mid-sentence when they saw the two girls leaning out of the window. "What's going on?" Taka asked.
Saori turned. "OW!" She screamed, almost near tears. Her head was pounding. You'd think she'd learn...
Nuriko stepped off the walk surrounding the building and walked quickly to his brother, who was arguing with two guards. The guards seemed quite irritated.
Rokou looked up. "Ha! There he is! Ryuuen! Over here!"
The guards glanced behind them. They bowed. "Lord Nuriko and Tasuki," one addressed.
"Sorry about this." Nuriko smiled. "I'll take care of it." He went past the guards and over the out skirting fence. He grabbed the blue haired man tightly by the arm and yanked him away from the palace.
Nuriko stopped a short distance away under a large tree. He stood agitated in front of his older brother. "Rokou, what in the world are you doing here?!"
Rokou brushed off his sleeve. "What, I'm not allowed to visit my brother?"
"No!" Nuriko shouted in response.
Rokou looked past Nuriko at Tasuki. "HE gets to be here?"
Nuriko rolled his eyes. "Yes, dummy. You need to get a grip on life! You lived twelve years in my absence, you think you could last a couple of months!"
"Ryuuen!"
A feminine, high voice came in the direction away from the palace. Nuriko, Rokou, and Tasuki all turned there heads. Nuriko folded his arms.
"Hello Enin." Nuriko said, somewhat less than excited.
"Who's she?" Tasuki asked as the girl approached. Nuriko gave an 'evil eye' sideways glance to his brother.
The girl caught her breath from her short jog. She wore a light red dress with long, sunny yellow sleeves. Her thick, dark, ebony hair was pulled back loosely behind her head, forming two ring-like buns on either side. She was fairly short, only a few inches taller than an even five feet. She gave the men a wide smile, her long black eyelashes batting ever so slightly. She looked up at Nuriko with a sort of held back admiration, her blue eyes shining in the shade of the tree. "So he was available, Rokou?" Enin smiled to the man against the tree.
Nuriko sighed. "Tasuki, this is Enin Shiiko, she's from the capital."
Enin smiled. "I'm one of Ryuuen's neighbors, he's just trying to humble himself." She squeaked. She held up a small white box she was carrying. "Ryuuen-san, I made you a little lunch, just in case you got hungry. I know that palace food can get tiring."
Nuriko pasted on a smile. "Thank you." He slowly accepted the gift.
Tasuki lit up some. "Ah crap. Nuriko, we were suppose to meet his Highness in the library nearly an hour ago! I forgot to remind you!"
Nuriko looked back, confused at first, but then his face showed pure gratitude. "Tasuki!" He yelled. "You're so irresponsible!" He turned back to Rokou and Enin. "I'm terribly sorry. Rokou, I'll visit you again in a little while, you too Enin. I have to be going." He held up the box. "And thanks again."
Enin glowed. "Wow, official business! You're so honorable, Ryuuen!"
Tasuki and Nuriko turned, waving goodbye as they headed back.
When they were a safe distance away, Tasuki finally spoke up. "Who the heck was she?"
Nuriko growled. "I can't BELIEVE he brought Enin along! Rokou's got some nerve...."
Tasuki repeated the question.
"Enin Shiiko lives a few streets away from Rokou and I. She hasn't left me alone for the past two years. She's sixteen, and whenever she comes over she 'somehow' brings up the fact that she wants to be married and have a respectable family. Rokou only praises her. He needs a life." Nuriko explained.
Tasuki blinked. "Well, at least she can cook..."
"She can't!" Nuriko chucked the box into Tasuki's stomach as they entered the palace grounds. "I'd rather eat pond scum!"
Tasuki laughed at Nuriko's fit. "Down boy, down! Don't get so uptight!"